93: Chapter 93 Review and Respite

Chen Xi didn't know how long he had been sitting in a daze at that abandoned pier.

It wasn't until the icy river wind made the scar that had already healed begin to throb with phantom pains.

That he slowly stood up.

It was time to log off.

In this era, he no longer had a reason that compelled him to stay.

But in the year 226, he did.

He had to go back, to see the "Proclamation" that had triggered the global technological race.

He had to go back, to figure out exactly what had happened to him.

More importantly, he had to go back, to make complete preparations for the next, even more brutal, bloodbath.

(Nanjing...)

He silently recited this heavy name in his heart.

Then, he issued a command to the system that only he could see.

"Exit game."

...

A familiar, dizzying sensation of weightlessness washed over him.

It was like being thrown into a high-speed spinning washing machine.

But this time, it was different.

Countless, fragmented images and sharp, chaotic noises flashed wildly through his mind.

It was Little Chen's final, brilliant smile.

It was Xie Jinyuan's solemn military salute.

It was the Soldiers in the warehouse, their eyes red-rimmed as they entrusted their letters home.

And there was that sickle that could slice through iron like mud, that water gun that melted tanks, that sky-swarms of armed Drones.

All the memories, all the emotions, all the pain, were compressed, kneaded, and forcibly poured into the depths of his soul in that instant.

When Chen Xi opened his eyes again.

What he saw was no longer the gray sky of 1937.

But a pure, piercing, white.

The white glow of shadowless lamps, and the white of the ceiling.

The air was thick with the pungent smell of disinfectant.

Several IV lines were inserted into his arm, cold liquid slowly coursing through his veins and spreading throughout his body.

"Beep... beep... beep..."

The cardiac monitor beside him emitted a regular, monotonous sound.

He was back.

Back in 226.

"He's awake! He's awake!"

A voice, suppressing its excitement, rang out.

Several figures wearing white sterile suits, masks, and goggles instantly crowded around him.

They moved swiftly and professionally, their various instruments quickly scanning over Chen Xi.

"Vital signs stable!"

"Brainwave activity has returned to normal levels!"

"Heart rate one-oh-five, blood pressure one-forty over ninety, elevated!"

"Pupillary light reflex normal!"

Chen Xi ignored this commotion.

He just stared blankly at the ceiling.

A powerful, unreal sense of disconnection engulfed him.

Just minutes ago.

He had been in that era of raging war, where human life was as cheap as grass.

And now, he was back in this peaceful future, with its advanced medical technology he couldn't comprehend.

Which one, in the end, was real?

Or were both real?

"Everyone out."

A steady voice, carrying unquestionable authority, sounded at the door.

It was Old Long.

The people in white coats immediately stopped their work, gave Old Long a slight bow, and then silently withdrew from the room.

The vast medical room was now occupied only by Chen Xi and Old Long.

Old Long wore dark casual clothes, but his upright posture and those sharp, hawk-like eyes still carried the iron-blooded aura of a Soldier.

He didn't speak.

He just walked to Chen Xi's bedside, pulled over a chair, and sat down.

Then, quietly, he looked at him.

Chen Xi also remained silent.

He looked at his former superior, this man who had treated him like a father and a brother during their time in "Dragon Fang."

A thousand words were stuck in his throat.

In the end, he just hoarsely squeezed out two words.

"Boss."

Old Long's eyes reddened slightly.

But he quickly suppressed it.

He took something out of his pocket.

Something carefully wrapped in an evidence bag.

He placed that evidence bag on Chen Xi's bedside table.

"Take a look."

Chen Xi turned his head with difficulty.

His gaze fell on the evidence bag.

Then, his pupils abruptly contracted.

Inside, lay a brass button, stained with dark red blood.

Identical.

To the one he had brought back from 1937.

Exactly the same.

"When your Livestream room went dark and your vital signs dropped to their lowest point,"

Old Long's voice was calm, yet carrying an undercurrent of suppressed, turbulent shock.

"It... appeared out of thin air inside your game pod."

"After the highest level of physical and chemical analysis, its material, craftsmanship, even the DNA in the bloodstain on it, completely defy any known records from our era."

"It... is real."

Boom—

Chen Xi's mind went blank.

Although he had been mentally prepared.

When this fact was presented to him in such an irrefutable manner.

The impact still nearly suffocated him.

Little Chen was real.

Xie Jinyuan was real.

The Sihang Warehouse was real.

That bloody battle, that sacrifice, that farewell.

All of it, was real.

"You did well, kid."

Old Long looked at him, his eyes filled with relief, pride, and a trace of deep heartache.

"You not only saved them."

"You also gave us a perfect opportunity to 'show our sword' to the whole world."

"Right now, the entire world is going crazy over your 'performance.'"

He paused, his tone becoming extremely grave.

"And because of you, we have secured the most precious strategic buffer time."

"So, rest well."

"You are not fighting alone."

"From now on, the entire nation is your strongest backing."

Finished speaking, Old Long stood up, gave Chen Xi's shoulder a heavy pat.

Then, he turned and left.

The medical room fell silent once more.

Leaving only the monotonous "beep... beep..." of the cardiac monitor.

Chen Xi slowly closed his eyes.

But he did not rest.

Instead, he sank all his consciousness into that cold system interface.

He needed to take inventory.

Inventory of everything he had gained in exchange for his life and the blood of his comrades.

[Main Quest: Defense of the Sihang Warehouse]

[Status: Completed]

[Quest Evaluation: Perfect]

[Quest Rewards:]

[Audience emotion points: +18,745,921,34]

[Store Permissions: Tier 3 (Unlocked)]

[Special Title: "Epoch Imprint" (Equipped)]

[Epoch Imprint: When you perform actions at historical key points that are sufficient to resonate with the era, the speed and cap at which you gain 'emotion points' receive a massive bonus.]

A series of numbers and text flowed slowly through his consciousness.

He paid no attention to that astronomically long number he couldn't be bothered to count.

His gaze went directly to the newly unlocked, Tier 3 Store.

One brand new "toy" after another appeared before his eyes.

[Chameleon Cloak]: Made from flexible photosensitive material, it can achieve perfect dynamic optical camouflage based on ambient light. Essential for home travel and hide-and-seek.

(Optical camouflage? A stealth artifact.)

[Hand-Cranked Movie Projector]: Contains a miniature holographic projection core. Can project high-fidelity three-dimensional images from the user's mind onto any medium. Share an unforgettable travel memory with your friends!

(A holographic projector? Psychological warfare, intelligence transmission, even... fabricating miracles?)

[Delivery Drone]: An ultra-long-distance matter transmission device based on quantum entanglement principles. As long as the spatial coordinates of the receiving end are preset, no matter how far, it can 'whoosh' your 'package' safely to its destination. Note: Single transmission mass cannot exceed fifty kilograms.

(Quantum transmission?! This is fucking...)

Chen Xi's heart gave a violent thump.

This was no longer a tactical-level item.

This was a strategic-level, game-changer!

With this, he could achieve freedom of logistical supply in Nanjing!

He could move medicine, food, weapons, even... the people who needed saving, out of that hell, without anyone knowing!

Chen Xi's breathing became somewhat rapid.

He forcibly suppressed the excitement in his heart and continued looking.

At the end of the list, there was one more item marked "Special."

[Heart-to-Heart Walkie-Talkies] (a pair): No matter the distance, no matter the physical or signal jamming, as long as both parties possess one, they can achieve zero-delay, absolutely secure, telepathic communication. Have a private conversation across time and space with your soulmate!

Chen Xi looked at this item's description and fell silent.

He thought of Xie Jinyuan.

Thought of that refined general who had made an appointment with him to "meet again on the battlefield."

If... he gave one to Xie Jinyuan...

No.

He quickly dismissed the thought.

Too dangerous.

If discovered, the trouble this thing could bring would far outweigh its value.

Chen Xi closed the store interface.

He lay on the bed, eyes closed, but his mind was operating at an unprecedented, frenzied speed.

He was reviewing.

Reviewing every detail of the Sihang Warehouse.

He was also simulating.

Simulating the even bloodier, more desperate battle about to unfold in Nanjing.

The [Chameleon Cloak] could turn him into a true ghost assassin, moving through the city's shadows.

The [Hand-Cranked Movie Projector] could be used to create chaos, confuse the enemy, even, at critical moments, convey information from the future to specific people.

The [Delivery Drone] was the core guarantee for him to complete the mission of the "Rescue List."

His mind had already begun constructing a vast, intricate network of operations.

And he was the center of this network.

The solitary spider, controlling everything.

He felt no joy of having survived a catastrophe.

Nor any excitement from gaining powerful tools.

He was just, calmly, like a precise machine, analyzing, calculating.

Because he knew.

These were not toys.

These were the weapons he would use in that hell on earth to save lives, and to execute judgment.